Gregg Rolie. His former high school, which closed in 1980, had a reunion today for about 50 members of the Gunn class of ‘81– those who spent two years at each school. “Gregg Rolie” was a clue in a game; he’s an historical figure here, in South Palo Alto. I crashed the party with my old coach and two former teammates. I said I was a concert promoter, bringing a handful of shows this summer to the small amphitheater 50 yards from our picnic area, Mitchell Park (e.g., Chuck Prophet and The Mission Express, Sam Reider Jorge Glemm duo, 7/30/23). One of our teammates remembers baseball with Marc Geiger (SaveLive, William Morris, Lollapalooza— Paly ‘80); Geiger texted me back that he “misses” the guy. They cranked Steve Miller “Fly Like An Eagle” from a boombox or mp3 port. You left out a “G” bossman. Gee. Mark Weiss Earthwise of Palo Alto
I’ve never met Marc Geiger but we’ve been texting since he and Greg Kurstin were at BottleRock talking about Tommy Jordan— Kurstin partner in Geggy Tah. My blog apparently is a source on post-Geggy Tah bandmembers.
Earthwise Productions of Palo Alto is hosting a jazz concert Wednesday at Lucie Stern Community Center Courtyard featuring the jazz combo known as ‘Western Edition’.
‘Western Edition’ combines originals – -written by its members – and covers by forebears such as Thelonious Monk and Wayne Shorter, plus songs by peers such as Julian Lage and Julian Shore.
Earthwise has produced several concerts this year at places like Mitchell Park Community Center El Palo Alto Room, Lytton Plaza and Palo Alto Art Center. On the schedule are shows — jazz, folk, rock and classical — at Oshman JCC Palo Alto, Johnson Park and Mitchell Park Bowl — all places Earthwise has showcased in recent years. In the 1990s, Earthwise produced 150 show, roughly twice per month, at the old Cubberley High campus – -chiefly in the theatre and the multi-purpose room / cafeteria / auditorium.
But this is Earthwise’s debut at Lucie Stern.
And although its been axiomatic that the Earthwise outdoor shows are free (and the indoors shows either a bargain or free), this show at the Stern courtyard is both outdoors and ticketed — Earthwise uses the ticket revenue to help pay for the outdoor shows.
“I had my 20th Gunn reunion at the Lucie Stern Courtyard, and made note of its features” said Mark Weiss, the Earthwise founder and a former Gunn High basketball player. (note: Mark Weiss is also the author of this post and the owner so to speak of “Plastic Alto” blog — though he is not a founder or equity holder in WordPress which probably technically owns “markweiss86.wordpress.com” and “Plastic Alto” and maybe its content, not that it matters and excuse the digression – -each post gets about 50 views*).
‘Western Edition’ according to the on-sale page at “earthwise'” plus “eventbrite” is a jazz group in the spirit of Snarky Puppy, High Pulp and Cien Mil Mangos (which played Lytton Plaza earlier this month).
It is an unknown band but Weiss said he figures that people will trust his imprimatur since he also has, for example, presented the NorCal debut of blink-182, a rock band that was worth 150 people at $6 each back in 1997 but recently sold out the hockey arena.
“I bought a ticket to the blink show at the Sharktank for $20 even though I was producing a jazz concert at the Mitch and would not attend. Well, twenty bucks plus twenty in fees. I am weird but I guess I can afford to blow that money just for the story, and the connection to blink 182.”
unused Blink 182 ticket I bought for yucks — didn’t notice ‘obstructed view’
Weiss also points out that all people who attend ‘Western Edition’ will be allowed to sit in a chair, provided by the venue and promote. This is not the case for recent jazz shows like Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter at a fancy pants new venue nearby where most of the people have to stand. (And are charged a lot more than $20 per show).
imprimatur means trust us this time like you did before
*fifty readers on average of “Plastic Alto: Earthwise to Host ‘Western Edition’ and as it was such a late add to the schedule, Weiss says he is counting on the blog readers to help fill the house and pay for gas money for the band, road warriors who allegedly are driving back to New York City or New Jersey after the show — I guess if we charged what the Guild charges the band could stay in a hotel room
Wobbly World, presented by Earthwise Productions, is the headliner at the second 3rd Thursdays event, which features a World 🎵 Music theme. Featuring Freddy Clarke of Menlo Park
The new 3rd Thursday music series holds its second event June 15 tomorrow along Palo Alto’s Cali Avenue with an evening of World Music, featuring artists Hobbyhorse, Jazz Before Midnight with Nathan Tokunaga, Top Shelf, Rick Sanders, World Harmony Chorus, Fete Musette, The Planka Band and Aprylle Dawn. Peninsula-based band Wobbly World, which boasts an international lineup of musicians playing an array of international music, is the headliner, presented by Earthwise Productions.
Visitors can stroll between performances, which will all be taking place at the same time along California Avenue and several side streets, “creating a community festival vibe as opposed to a concert,” event producer Carol Garsten said in a press release about the event.
Spearheaded by Garsten, a Barron Park resident with longtime ties to downtown Los Altos’ First Friday music event, the series aims to unite the local community and foster joy among Palo Alto residents.
A plethora of California Avenue businesses, including French bistro La Boheme, Calave wine bar, superfood standby Vitality Bowls and pizzeria Terún, will feature 3rd Thursday specials for listeners to enjoy while they absorb the evening’s melodies and rhythms.
People can also check out other local merchants, who may have extended hours or special offers. Gamelandia will open up its collection of over 500 board games for two hours of free open play. Gallery House holds a sale and gallery members will also be on hand to lead participants through a community art sharing project. The event offers an opportunity to take in the three new murals recently completed during the California Avenue Murals Festival
Weiss with mural artist Olivia Losee-Unger
and to make it all official, a 3rd Thursday ribbon cutting ceremony with Palo Alto Mayor Lydia Kou and the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce takes place at 5:45pm at El Camino Real and California Avenue.
Palo Altans, visitors and their children or pets, can emjoy the beautiful summer weather and support local creatives on California Avenue with an evening of fun for the whole family and our collective soul.
3rd Thursday takes place June 15, 6-9 p.m. in the California Avenue business district, along California Avenue between El Camino Real and Birch Street; on Ash Street between California and Sherman avenues; on Birch Street between California and Cambridge avenues; and from Birch Street down to Park Avenue, Palo Alto. Attendance is free. 3rdthursday.fun.(source: Palo Alto Weekly)
Note: on July 20, the third Third Thursday, Earthwise Productions of Palo Alto, is producing a stage at the festival that will feature Leon Timbo band at 7 pm preceded by Josh Thurston Milgrom Quartet at. 6.
Leon Timbo
Josh Thurston Milgrom
🎵 Palo Alto’s “World Music Day” is actually “fete de la musique” / “make music day” which means it takes advantage of the long summer twilight, features multiple stages of local musicians; its “world(wide)” more than that it features music in Spanish or Portuguese or is from below the equator. Wobbly World does, nonetheless, feature people and themes from Central America and the Middle East.
Peets Café at town and country near Stanford, updating my avails log and I recognize Dan Olmsted who played in my concert series in the fall of 1995. He is Cubberley class of 1972. But he doesn’t look a day over 69. His band was called the New Jersey Devils. According to spellcheck. They open for Cake and The Negro problem. And a Black guy started tearing down all our posters. He said they were moving in a more Celtic direction so I asked him to over for the Young Dubliners November 11 at The Mitch. He clarified that he’s married to Kathy, the bass player, not Sheila the fiddle player. He clarified that he washed windows for Gregg Rolie’s mother, not mowed the lawn.
And1: They call me Mr Hanif:
I flipped through the special issue of the Rolling Stone the teacher articles about Mick Jagger — please note the magazine is not otherwise affiliated with the rock band despite the similar names. It was a vain search to see if there was anything by Hanif Abdur Rahim. As spellcheck calls him. (Hanif Abdurraqib) he has a passage in his book about working at a health food store or maybe health insurance and having to constantly correct people on how to say or spell his name. On point he has an essay about the woman who sang the backing parts on Gimme Shelter. He also has an interesting passage about soul train, and the exact outfit worn by someone to War. Which makes me want to hire Aleta Hayes and student Rabiah Kabir to create a live Soul Train tribute. Rabiah has corrected me twice on her name. She plays the flute in a salsa band, and then puts down her axe to axe people to dance.
As the man says: FRIDAY JUNE 9 LYTTON PLAZA PALO ALTO, CA Freddy Jones Band will perform a free concert at 7 pm, presented by Earthwise Productions of Palo Alto.
I made an attempt to reach former KFOG jocks Rosalie Howarth and Renee Richardson to see if they wanted to introduce the band, whose song “In A Daydream” was a staple of KFOG and its “Acoustic Sunrise” show. I did hear back from Bonnie Simmons a former KSAN jock — still at KPFA most Thursday nights — and who managed Cake who were on Capricorn Records, as were FJB.
So far we have 18 RSVPs — there is obviously room for a few more people. (Initially, I thought it we got more than 200 RSVPs at this point I would check back with the City of Palo Alto about the need to possibly shut down Emerson between University and Hamilton).
See you there, all 18 of you — plus the 50 readers of Plastic Alto.
Plastic Alto with Mark Weiss 